The Meaning of shimei [氏名] In Japanese

氏名
しめい
Romaji: shimei N4

What does 氏名 mean?

Translation and Meaning

family name, given name, full name

Definition

It means a person’s full name used for identification. In formal contexts such as forms and records, 氏名 refers to both surname and given name together in writing.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Formal term for a person’s full name used on official documents, forms, and records.
  • Used in administrative, business, and legal contexts to identify an individual precisely.
  • Less common in casual speech; everyday naming is usually 氏名 replaced by 名前 or お名前 in conversation.

Composition

  • 氏: family name, clan reference
  • 名: name
  • Combined: full name, typically written as surname first, then given name in formal contexts

Usage

Used in formal writing and documentation to request or record a person’s identity; typical contexts include government forms, corporate records, and legal documents. In polite conversation you might say お名前 to ask for someone’s name, or 名前 for casual reference; for asking or recording, 氏名 is preferred in writing rather than spoken language. Example phrases: 氏名を記入してください, 氏名欄をご記入ください.
💡 Tips
Visualize a family crest next to a name tag to recall that 氏名 is your full name.

Variations

  • 名字 (myouji) — family name; surname
  • 苗字 (myouji) — family name; surname
  • 名前 (namae) — given name or name in general, common usage
  • お名前 (onamae) — polite form for asking someone’s name

Example Phrases

  • 氏名と生年月日を記入してください。
    shimei to seinengappi o kinyū shite kudasai.
    Please fill in your full name and birth date.
    Lista:
    • 氏名 (shimei) – full name
    • と (to) – and
    • 生年月日 (seinengappi) – birth date
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 記入 (kinyū) – fill in
    • してください (kudasai) – please do
    「氏名」 is the formal term for ‘full name’ used in forms; here it functions as the object of 記入.
氏名